3-year-old British boy hospitalized after suspected acid attack

Police in England released CCTV images of three men seen in a store where a 3-year-old boy was targeted in a suspected acid attack on Saturday afternoon. Photo courtesy West Merica Police

July 22 (UPI) -- A 3-year-old boy was hospitalized after sustaining injuries from a suspected acid attack in a store in England, police said.

The boy has since been discharged from the hospital, where he was treated for serious burns to his arm and face Saturday, and a 39-year-old man from Wolverhampton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, West Merica Police said Sunday.

"At this time we are treating this as a deliberate attack on a 3-year-old boy," West Merica Chief Superintendent Mark Travis said. "At this time, the motive for the attack is unclear. Officers are working hard to establish exactly what happened and what the substance involved was."

Police also released CCTV images of three men inside the Worcester store at the time of the attack and Travis said the department is seeking any information about them.

"The three men in the photo may have information vital to our investigation. I am sure someone will recognize them and I would urge anyone with information to contact us as a matter of urgency," he said.
"The incident will rightly shock the local community and I would like to reassure local people that we are carrying out a thorough investigation to identify those responsible."